Meet the #motherhustlers: Grace Kennedy

Grace Kennedy is a writer and marketing consultant based in the Charlotte, N.C. area. She specializes in using storytelling to solve people’s communications problems. She comes to the mompreneur world with experience in bilingual elementary education and nonprofit marketing.

Tell us about yourself, your business, and how you got started!

I knew I wanted to go back to work when my youngest child went to kindergarten, but I also loved the idea of working from home so I could meet my kids at the bus stop, walk the dog, and volunteer at their school. I decided to take the leap and start a freelance writing and consulting business. I spent most of the fall researching and setting up my business, and started pitching in January.

What inspired you to start your own business?

I learned from the best – my mom and dad. My dad was a freelance writer as far back as I can remember, and my mom started her own consulting business after leaving a long corporate career. Their courage and perseverance were important examples for me growing up.

What struggles do you face when it comes to balancing your work and family and how do you deal with them?

The struggle is real! Because this is a relatively new adventure, I am still figuring out the balance thing. The two things that fall through the cracks most frequently are dinners and housecleaning. My goal for the summer is to get real about meal planning. And wanting to hire a housecleaner is great motivation for my hustle!

What do you think is the secret to raising a healthy business and a healthy family?

Stay true to your values no matter what the world around you says. You don’t have to be an Instagram influencer to be good at what you do. People still appreciate quality relationships and good honest work. You also don’t have to do every Pinterest project in order to be a “good” mom. You have to “mom” the way that works best for your family.

What is one piece of advice you could give to help other mompreneurs out?

Get out of your own way. There will always be an unhelpful voice telling you unhelpful things. Fight against that voice. That voice is a lie. Join a community where you can be honest about whatever you struggle with, whether it’s impostor syndrome, work/life balance, fear of being vulnerable, etc.

What words of encouragement do you have for your fellow mompreneurs?

From a marketing standpoint, try to keep in mind that it’s not about you. It’s about your skills and how they can solve people’s problems. If all your marketing pieces focus on this idea, you will attract the clients and customers you want!

Do you have any great / inspiring stories from your own experience that you would like to share?

I wanted to give up recently. I felt like I was stuck at a crazy intersection with fifteen different directions I could go in. If you had walked up to me and offered me a job at Burger King, I probably would have taken it, just to avoid having to make a decision about which direction to go in.

During this time, I met with a dear friend who also happens to be an amazing career coach. She helped me figure out what I wanted career-wise. I started imagining the clients and the types of work that I really wanted, and what my life would be like with those clients in my life.

The next week brought in three new clients from completely different businesses and situations, each one with different problems I was able to help with.

The takeaway from this experience is: whenever you’re stuck, make sure you are crystal clear about what you want. Take some time to examine your intentions and visualize the ideal situation. Make sure you truly believe that your ideal situation is possible for you.

Any fun facts you want to share? 

I am also working on my first book! The genre is children’s fiction and I am simultaneously thrilled and terrified by it all the time. Woohoo!

Where You Can Find Grace

Read more about Grace over on her website, www.gracekennedy.net, and follow along with her on Twitter!